Hi Everyone,

How’s it going?

We are going to start this week’s blog with a little plea for help….one that will make you feel good, and which you can get rewarded for….both in the near future and in the afterlife…well not so sure about the latter!

Excellent local band and good friends of the shop JOHN BLEK AND THE RATS have a fund-it campaign to get their next record made.

They need to raise 6 grand to get it done; they are about 25% of the way there so if you want and can help out please please do….

John will play a few songs in your house wearing a fetching scarlet dressing gown for one of the rewards if that takes your fancy…….or leave you borrow it for a night if you prefer that…..here are the links to support…

http://fundit.ie/project/activity/john-blek–the-rats–borders

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8ZnVC6d2c4&feature=youtu.be

We also have a counter box in the shop if you want to pop a euro or two into it…..it all helps…..

I was only banging on about fund-it’s a few weeks back saying that whatever needs to be done to get the record made needs to be done, and fund-its are one of those ways, giving bands a chance to get it made when otherwise it may not.

Bobs are tight I know and 6 k is a lot of money but spread across 300 people then it isn’t too bad and I feel that it is so important that these talented local acts keeping plying their trade.

The record companies are like banks……they want zero risk….they will only bite when they are guaranteed a return……they are purely a business now anyway….so fund-its and projects like it are the only real option for talented up and coming artists.

On to the releases for mainly the 29th of May, quite a few to mention again this week, the biggest one through Universal is the third record by FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE entitled “how big, how blue, how beautiful”….huge things expected of this album….singles grew on me a bit after initially not being too keen.

The MUSIC ZONE Corporation is running a little competition over the next week to give away a copy of the Vinyl record and a copy of the deluxe CD….the competition is on face book and twitter ( cos we are looking for followers and all that shite) but if you are not a fan of the social media we don’t want you to feel left out…so just pop us a mail with the name FLORENCE as the subject and you’ll be in also….normally only about 25 names go into the hat if that incentivizes you!!

The record retails at 25 euro with us and 32 euro with the man who sold the world after getting the world for free from local governments…….i had decided to lay back but could not resist….its the Greenmount boy in me!!

UNIVERSAL also has new records by SLAVES ( bit of a buzz about these punk rocking Londoners) and MELODY GARDOT, as well as the vinyl record releases from two icons, BRIAN WILSON and RINGO STARR, of their most recent albums.

Other releases from UNIVERSAL for the 29th May include new records from PARADISE LOST, BABYMETAL, a live album from TARJA and I see from the attachment the RIPTIDE MOVEMENT is getting a release in the UK…….could it do anything over there?…..not unless it gets a bit of radio support.

Lastly but certainly not least from UNIVERSAL is the new EP from THE STRYPES…..album out in July…I have banged on about these boys in the past ( who hasn’t) and I believe greatness could be in the pipeline….I LOVE THIS SONG….i love their persona/attitude in the video…were fffinng rock stars!!….i love the shared vocals…Josh’s vocals although tentative have a lovely tone…..they are tight as **** musically……great tune……album number two…the famed difficult one….greatness awaits buachailli.

PIAS for June 5th have the new record from PINS….well worth a listen

There are also new ones from PRINZHORN DANCE SCHOOL, FFS. this is a combo of FRANZ FERDINAND and SPARKS, also a new EP from SHARON VAN ETTEN.

BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB has a triple LP/ DVD live from Paris release which is supposed to be excellent.

LEFTFIELD have a new album. Yes, that’s what’s written, LEFTFIELD have a new album….i went through a big phase of leftism for quite a while back in the day….must play it again.

WARNER has a massive release also for June 5th with the new MUSE album called “drones”…..good band, fantastic live.

WARNER has some nice vinyl re issues for May 29 including the hugely commercially successful “fisherman’s blues” from THE WATERBOYS and THE GRATEFUL DEAD “VERY BEST OF” on double LP.

There are new albums from DAWES and SIMPLY RED and some live albums from LYNYRD SKYNYRD and JEFF BECK…..see attachment for more details….these are out on the 29th May.

SONY has new albums from WILLIE NELSON/MERLE HAGGARD, ASAP ROCKY and AWOLNATION.

MUSIC ON VINYL for the middle of June have DAVID BOWIES “HOURS” ….first timer on Vinyl….was to be on 3 colours but only black left im afraid….a lot of you or some of you will remember this was the first album in its entirety to be sold on tinternet ….another reason those Bowie fans have to say he was ahead of his time!!

More MUSIC ON VINYL releases include SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE, FAR MORE THE MADDENING CROWD OST and the STONE TEMPLE PILOT’s “ Shangri- la dee da”.

PROPER has the new DARKNESS record and a debut solo album from KATE PIERSON from B- 52 fame.

CARGO has a new OST from CLIFF MARTINEZ entitled far cry 4.

The Music Zone newsletter may not be delivered next week as Thursday night is my night penciled in for it but next Thursday night the Corporation is heading in to THE HARD GROUND album launch/gig in the Olivier Plunkett for some great tunes and deserved creamy pints….apologies in advance….might get something tiny out weds night but don’t know for sure.

Check out the website….what’s your favourite album of all time……

https://musiczone.ie/mzforum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=354

Sin e for this week,

Thanks for listening,

Ray.